Carson City Nevada News - Carson Now - Your one stop for Carson City news

Lyon County, Nevada Secretary of State’s Office address error on 2024 Lyon County Primary Ballot

Jeff Munson — Thu, 23 May 2024 00:05:35 +0000

Lyon County news release

YERINGTON — Lyon County and the Nevada Secretary of State are aware of the error on the 2024 Lyon County primary ballot regarding the number of candidates to vote for in the Fernley City Council Ward 5 and the Stagecoach General Improvement District Trustees races. Lyon County and the Secretary of State's Office are working through these issues and will have additional information for the candidates and voters by the end of this week.

Lyon County and the Secretary of State's Office want to assure voters that this does not impact the remaining items on the ballot for the 2024 primary election.

Further information on Lyon County elections is available on the elections page of the Lyon County website.

Carson City locals, educators and students to travel to Japan

Wed, 22 May 2024 22:10:03 +0000

Benjamin Spence, Battle Born Travel Club

This June, a group of over 100 denizens of Carson City will depart for a 10-day educational exploration of Japan.

The group, consisting predominately of educators and students, will be leaving Carson City for Tokyo, and extend their learning to places such as Fuji-Hakone-Izu, Odawara, Kyoto, Osaka and will end their journey with an unforgettable tour of Hiroshima, including the Peace Memorial Park and Museum.

Headed by Benjamin Spence, History and AP teacher at Carson High School, Battle Born Travel Club aims to build incredible and unique bonds between students, their learning, and both the local and global community. With the support of educators and the Carson City community, BBTC has shown students and adult travelers alike such unforgettable places as Egypt, Costa Rica, Vietnam and more.

Battle Born Travel Club, in partnership with the community, aims to engage and empower students, parents and all travelers to become and remain life-long learners with the skills, knowledge and opportunities to thrive in an increasingly global society.

If educational travel is something you or those you love are interested in, or you would like to contribute to someone's exploration of the world, email bspence@battleborntravelclub.com or head to battleborntravelclub.com.

Battle Born Travel Club is an independently operated travel club and is not affiliated with Carson High School or the Carson City School District in any official capacity. Any views, opinions or activities expressed or undertaken by Battle Born Travel Club are solely those of the club and its members and do not represent the views or endorsements of Carson High School or the Carson City School District.

Second Annual Bette M. Larsen Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament to Benefit Carson High School Students

Wed, 22 May 2024 20:00:47 +0000

By Cheryl Webster and Timbers Saloon

Timbers Saloon will be hosting The Bette M. Larsen Second Annual Memorial Golf Tournament on June 22, 2024 to continue providing scholarships for our local students.

Our inaugural golf tournament last year was a huge success as we raised $9000.00 for Carson High School Scholarships. Come join us for our four man scramble to support this cause. Please contact Timbers Saloon at (775)882-8758 to sign up.

Carson City Sheriff's Office to conduct full-scale active shooter exercise at Carson High

Jeff Munson — Wed, 22 May 2024 19:33:29 +0000

Event Date:

June 4, 2024 - 8:00am

Jon Bakkedahl, Deputy Emergency Manager

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Carson City School District and the Carson City Fire Department, will conduct a comprehensive active shooter Full-Scale Exercise at Carson High School.

The event will commence at 8 a.m. with a briefing on the active shooter exercise. The exercise will include Carson High School and Sheriff’s Office response to an active shooter, VIP tours of the incident, a media briefing, and a family reunification drill.

Full scale exercises allow multiple agencies to test response plans and to physically move resources and work through a scenario in a training environment.

The Emergency Management Division is responsible for assuring the city's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, technological, and man-made emergencies, and for assisting citizens in their emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

The mission of the division is to coordinate the prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery programs and resources through partnerships to build resilient communities for Carson City Residents and visitors.

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact Jon Bakkedahl at jbakkedahl@carson.org or call 775-283-7820.

Carson City employees could see more raises coming their way, along with a new recognized holiday

Kelsey Penrose — Wed, 22 May 2024 18:07:01 +0000

Event Date:

May 24, 2024 - 8:00am

by Kelsey Penrose

On Friday, Carson City Supervisors will be discussing potential salary increases for classified and unclassified city workers. The meeting takes place beginning at 8 a.m. in the Bob Crowell Board Room of the Community Center, located at 851 E. William St.

The raises are a part of the planned 2025 city budget, which was first approved in April.

The agreement, if approved, will be between the city and the Carson City Employees Association, and will create a provision increasing salary ranges for all classified employees covered by the collective bargaining agreement and provide a one-time pay increase of 5 percent, or placement into the bottom of the adjusted salary range, whichever is greater.

The increases will cost the city approximately $1.9 million, which was already built into the city’s final budget.

In addition, unclassified employees will see new pay ranges established with a one time 5 percent salary increase or placement into the bottom of the adjusted pay range, whichever is greater, beginning May 31. In addition, the existing 2 percent cost-of-living increase on July 1 each year will continue. Unclassified salaries and benefits would increase by approximately $992,150, which was also built into the final budget.

The provision also stipulates that Juneteenth will be a legal holiday as recognized by the state.

The reason behind the changes is due to a recent study that found the current city pay rates for employees are below market average.

To read the agenda in its entirety, click here.

Nevada Guard set to host Flag Day, Army Birthday ceremonies at Capitol

Jeff Munson — Wed, 22 May 2024 17:59:16 +0000

Event Date:

June 14, 2024 - 10:00am

Nevada National Guard

The Nevada National Guard is set to host its 26th annual Flag Day Ceremony and the U.S. Army’s 249th Birthday celebration at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 14, at the Veterans Memorial on the Capitol Grounds, 101 N. Carson St. in Carson City.

The event is free and open to the public and will include a historical flag presentation by the Nevada Air Guard. This year’s ceremony will feature a speech by Division of Emergency Management Chief David Fogerson and the Army birthday address will be delivered by Brig. Gen. D. Rodger Waters.

The U.S. Flag flown at Fort Ruby in the 1860s will be on display and Army birthday cake will be served to all attendees, compliments of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization. Citizens are also welcome to bring their unserviceable U.S. Flags for future proper disposal.

WHAT – Nevada Guard’s 26th annual Flag Day ceremony and U.S. Army’s 249th birthday celebration
WHEN – 10 a.m., Friday, June 14
WHERE – Veterans Memorial, Capitol Grounds, 101 N. Carson St., Carson City
WHY – To commemorate the U.S. Flag and recognize the Army’s 249th birthday
MEDIA – Welcome to attend. The public is welcome to attend.

The U.S. Army is two years older than the U.S. Flag. A resolution of the Continental Congress authorized 10 companies of riflemen on June 14, 1775, to establish the U.S. Army. Two years later, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act and adopted the stars-and-stripes design as our nation’s flag. In 1949, President Harry Truman signed an act of Congress designating June 14 at National Flag Day.

Carson City sheriff's deputies make warrant arrests

Jeff Munson — Wed, 22 May 2024 17:07:28 +0000

The Carson City Sheriff's office reports four arrests since Monday.

— A 31-year-old Fernley woman was arrested Tuesday in the area of North Carson and Adams for an outside agency warrant issued July 2023 out of Sparks Municipal Court. Bail: $890.

— A 65-year-old Carson City, Debra Songer, woman was arrested Monday for suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $2,500.

— A 62-year-old Dayton woman was arrested Tuesday for suspicion of misdemeanor violation of bail/pre-trail supervision. The woman was on Department of Alternative Sentencing with a "no alcohol" clause. She provided a breath sample of .250. Bail: $3,000 cash.

— A 34-year-old Carson City man was arrested Tuesday for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant issued May 21, 2024 out of Dayton Justice Court. Bail: $1,705.

— All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.

Douglas County School Board chooses superintendent finalists…again

Kelsey Penrose — Wed, 22 May 2024 15:45:05 +0000

by Kelsey Penrose

During their hours-long meeting Tuesday evening, the Douglas County School Board chose three of the six superintendent candidates to move forward into the interview process.

The previous superintendent select ended up not being offered a contract following public outcry after it was revealed he had a criminal and mismanagement history from multiple other school districts.

Following the decision to not move forward with their selection, the board then moved to offer the position to Acting Superintendent Jeanne Dwyer. However, because it was not agendized properly, the decision had to be voided. When it was brought back properly, the board majority of David Burns, Katherine Dickerson, Susan Jansen and Doug Englekirk changed their decisions and voted not to offer her the position.

Burns said he’d been “blindsided” before and had made his decision in haste which he regretted afterward. Dickerson said it would only be fair to interview others who have been “standing in line.”

Dwyer took over for former superintendent Keith Lewis after he was ousted by the board after nearly 30 years of service to the district. While acting as superintendent, Dwyer has also been continuing to work in her positions as the Director of Inclusive Education and Human Resources, as well as the additional responsibility of Board Clerk.

The board instead voted to move forward and accept applications from other candidates.

During discussions Tuesday, Trustee Yvonne Wagstaff stated that if any of the candidates did not have an overall score above 80 percent, they should continue their search, or hire Dwyer.

"If we want our kids to be better we need to show them better,” Wagstaff said. She said that their previously selected candidate only scored in the low 60s which to her was unacceptable.

However, Trustee Susan Jansen said because the screening tools are subjective, not objective, they’re never going to have a consensus.

“I just don’t see it happening,” Trustee Doug Englekirk echoed.

Six candidates were evaluated for the position, and after a screening tool and a round of discussions, the board decided to move forward with their top three candidates.

Candidates

Angelo Alvarado

Angelo Alvarado is currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Ukiah Unified School District in Ukiah, Calif. He has held the position for one year. Prior to this he served for four years as a Middle School Principal, Director of HR, and Elementary School Principal for the Mammoth Unified School District; an Assistant Principal within the Ontario Montclair School District for two years; and a Coordinator of Special Education with the Sequoia Union High School District for 11 months.

He received his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of La Verne in Education. He currently holds a license in Administrative Services, but does not hold any Nevada licensures.

“One of my many strengths is building trusting relationships with the entire school community,” his application reads. “I am a clear and concise communicator that treats all school community members with respect, empathy, and professionalism. I implement policy and procedure with fidelity in the best interest of students. I utilize the continuous improvement cycle, data, metrics for determining effectiveness, and a strengths-based approach for school improvement. I understand the importance of valuing the difference of professional opinions and I appreciate dialogue that leads to professional growth.”

His full application can be viewed here.

Patrick Peters

Patrick Peters is a Douglas County High School graduate who currently serves as Principal of Silver Stage High School in Silver Springs, a position in which he has served 19 years. Prior to this he served three years as the assistant principal, and a teacher at Silver Stage Middle School for eight years, as well as a basketball coach.

He received his Bachelors in Business from Sonoma State University, his teaching credential from Sierra Nevada College, and his Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. He currently holds a Nevada teaching license and has a number of educational awards both personally and for his school.

“My career path has included student teaching in Kindergarten at Bijou Elementary School and 6th grade at Jacks Valley Elementary School, then working as a paraprofessional, middle school teacher, high school assistant principal and my last 19 years as the proud principal of Silver Stage High School,” his application reads. “These roles have given me different educational experiences that make me highly qualified for the position of Douglas County School District Superintendent. I have had HR experience in my administrative role, supervising the Silver Springs transportation yard as well as working through different HR due process investigations and mediations with school staff. I have led high school accreditation teams in various Nevada school districts, mentoring administrators with the process and then leading the teams to analyze school data and determine accreditation outcomes.”

You can read his full application here.

Louise Simson

Louise Simson currently serves as Superintendent of Anderson Valley Unified School District in Boonville, Calif. which she has held for three years. Prior to that she served as the Assistant Superintendent and Principal of Vallecito Union School District in Avery, Calif., for three years. Before that she held the position of Special Education Teacher in the San Matteo Foster City School District in Foster City, Calif., for two years.

She holds a Bachelors and Masters in Human Services and Special Education from Notre Dame de Namur University. She currently does not hold licensures in Nevada but does hold a licensure as an Education Specialist in California.

“For the past six years, I have served students and the community in rural settings with a driving belief that all students deserve educational equity no matter their zip code. Our job is to expand academics, social/emotional learning, athletics, experiential travel opportunities and the arts to ensure students are well-rounded individuals prepared for college and career,” her application reads. “I have a proven track record of building relationships with students, boards, families, communities and educational partners to make great things happen for kids. I am a transparent and steadfast communicator, a visionary who believes everything is possible, and an incredibly relentless hard-worker that gets the impossible done.”

You can read her full application here.

Moving forward, a meet and greet will be held for the community to meet each candidate on June 10, followed by a June 11 board meeting during which interviews will be held. Each trustee will ask candidates two questions as part of the interview process.

Carson City Jazz & Beyond art contest application deadline is May 31

Jeff Munson — Wed, 22 May 2024 14:45:59 +0000

Event Date:

May 31, 2024 (All day)

By Elinor Bugli

The application deadline for Mile High Band Association’s 2024 Jazz & Beyond Festival art contest is Friday, May 31, 2024. Northern Nevada artists, including teachers and students are invited to apply, and participation is free.

Selected entries in the competition will be used to promote the festival, and the winning entry will be featured on the festival’s advertising poster and program cover. Festival T-shirts may also feature the winning design.

The artwork will be judged by the Jazz & Beyond committee. The winner of the competition will receive a certificate of appreciation from the Jazz & Beyond — Carson City Music Festival and a cash award of $100. Art Contest Coordinator Alexander Cassimus said, “The artist’s work will be front and center, viewed by thousands of festival patrons.” The festival will run from Friday, August 16, through Monday, August 26.

Entry forms are available for download from jazzcarsoncity.com.

Artists may submit more than one entry. Artwork must be 11”x14” and may be in any two-dimensional medium (photography, digital collage and photography, watercolor, acrylic, oil, etc.). Artwork must be matted, backed, and submitted in a protective sleeve. The design must be related to music. Each submission must include a separate entry form.

Artists are to deliver their entries by Friday, May 31, 2024, to the NAA Gallery, 449 W. King Street, Carson City, Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m., or contact Alexander Cassimus at 408-264-4423 or away4@earthlink.net for other options.

The entry form and a photo or digital image of the artwork (not to exceed 20 MB) must also be sent as an email attachment to info@jazzcarsoncity.com

For more information about the contest and entry forms, contact Alexander Cassimus at 408-264-4423 or away4@earthlink.net.

Carson City emergency crews respond to crash involving motorcycle at 5th and Saliman

Jeff Munson — Wed, 22 May 2024 02:03:06 +0000

Carson City Fire Department and sheriff's deputies were called Tuesday evening to a vehicle crash involving a motorcycle in the area of East 5th Street and Saliman Road.

The two-vehicle crash happened at around 6:55 p.m. The motorcycle rider was reportedly conscious and alert, according to a first responder on scene. Paramedics were evaluating the rider, checking for injuries and determining transport.

The rider was taken to the hospital. No serious injuries were reported.